International trade halted at Texas border crossing as truckers protest Greg Abbott's new inspection

[TexasTowelie]

Source: Houston Chronicle

Commercial traffic at a key South Texas border crossing has stopped after Mexican truckers on Monday blocked north- and southbound lanes on the Mexico side of the Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge in protest of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to have state troopers inspect northbound commercial vehicles — historically a job done by the federal government.

The bridge connecting Pharr and Reynosa is the busiest trade crossing in the Rio Grande Valley and handles the majority of the produce that crosses into the U.S. from Mexico, including avocados, broccoli, peppers, strawberries and tomatoes. On Monday, with trucks backed up for miles in Reynosa for the fifth day in a row, some produce importers in Texas said they have waited days for their goods to arrive and already had buyers cancel orders.

“One of our customers canceled the order because we didn’t deliver on time,” said Modesto Guerra, sales manager for Sterling Fresh Inc., which imports broccoli from Central Mexico via the Pharr bridge before shipping it to the Midwest and East Coast. “It’s something beyond our control.”

While many companies cross perishable foods in refrigerated trucks, Guerra said the bottlenecks could lead to equipment failures that cause produce and other products to spoil in the heat.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/texas-border-inspections-truckers-protest-17073870.php

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Full title: International trade halted at Texas border crossing as truckers protest Greg Abbott’s new inspections

[truthisfreedom]

1. One again proving texas is Anti-American.

Every damned thing they do hurts this country.

[jimfields33]

5. Maybe California could sell more fruits and other states.

I’m always amazed that we have to import fruit of all things. We have so much agricultural grounds here. Let’s take advantage of it.

[Farmer-Rick]

11. This is how globalization works

Countries import things they already make and grow to compete with local businesses. Then local businesses go bankrupt and the corporate stooges move in where competition has been crushed.

It's all about "free" trade. Everyone is free to compete with cheap foreign labor, illegal pesticides, GMO crap that's not labeled, seafood and fish fed garbage and mushrooms grown on human feces. "Free" trade is all about cheap labor and crappy products. It's what globalization is all about.

[jimfields33]

20. So sad and you are so right.

[IronLionZion]

21. And then they jack up prices for everything

All those cost cutting measures and cheap labor don't seem to be lowering prices much

[ashredux]

9. Texas isn't...just the corrupt Governor...they are working to change that

[joshdawg]

10. Not Texas, but abbott.

abbott is exactly why Texas needs Beto in Austin.

[bucolic_frolic]

2. Abbott is interfering with the federal jurisdiction of interstate commerce

[gab13by13]

3. Not really,

federal agents are still inspecting vehicles at the crossing, Abbott has added a second inspection.

We had a comprehensive immigration plan that passed the Senate and would have passed the House except that John Boehner refused to bring the bill to the floor of the House.

[moniss]

4. There is an aspect of harrassment

here and, once the Feds have inspected and found no violations, the nearly immediate secondary inspection by the troopers serves no legitimate purpose and would be claimed to be arbitrary and excessive if taken to court. An immediate filing in Federal District Court for an injunction is in order.

[stopdiggin]

6. "would be claimed to be arbitrary and excessive if taken to court"

taking odds on that one? (guess it depends on the court - but given deference to the state, law enforcement, public safety aims - and the ease of arguing 'differing functions' .. )

[moniss]

19. Yes I will take odds

on that. There have been cases in the past regarding excessive and arbitrary truck inspections around the country. Tennessee is but one example. The Owner-Operators/Independent Drivers Association sued in the '90's for excessive, arbitrary inspections combined with a state sanctioned shakedown scheme. They won and Tennessee was forced to completely dissolve their existing truck inspection and place it under an entirely different operation. You can look it up if you doubt me. I stated the basis for asking for an injunction based on what has been successful in the past. The public safety aims are the same. Safe vehicle, properly licensed etc., properly licensed driver, operating within allowed hours of service and proper cargo/documentation. Those things are all checked by the Feds and there are no further state requirements. To almost immediately re-inspect that vehicle, driver and cargo serves no legitimate public safety purpose. The vehicle, driver and cargo didn't change in 15 minutes. State troopers/state DOT inspectors get their authority to inspect interstate commerce from the Feds. Along with that they are required to adhere to applying the Federal Regulations that solely govern interstate commerce. They also get the vast majority of their budget for inspection/enforcement from the Feds.

Those truckers engaged in interstate commerce had to suffer for many decades in the last century under a system where each state was its' own little kingdom of special license, registration, tax stamp etc. requirements. You needed to have a book of knowledge a mile thick to try and go around the country and not get hit with ticky-tacky fines. All they were doing is using the truckers as a revenue source. Finally through very diligent effort the industry was able to get the system to one of more or less "one-stop-shop" documentation for registration, insurance, licensing and tax. Along with that is the role of the states regarding heavy vehicle travel for interstate commerce. Individual states are allowed to set restrictions on local and state roads for weight and length but not on Interstates. They can go higher than Federal limits but not lower unless there is a specific structural deficiency. Individual states cannot impose additional restrictions on drivers, standard hours of service, vehicle safety or cargo.

The case might well suffer initially from some inbred local crooked judge but will eventually be successful because in the end the Supremacy Clause still stands. At least until the GQP get their wet dream wish of holding a Constitutional Convention. Then we can kiss most all of the Amendments and the Supremacy Clause goodbye. Meanwhile we can now crown the Texas GQP/Abbott with being the kings of rotten produce.

[stopdiggin]

23. thank you. that was well informed.

and I hope your opinion is reflected in the courts.

---- ----

[Warpy]

18. I hope Texas is smart enough to vote that toad out

but considering the hold the preachers still have on that state, I tend to doubt they will.

While there is a well staffed crossing in the southwestern part of NM, I doubt it can handle the produce for the entire midsection of this country. California produce, once great, is showing the lack of water.

If the Texas Toad has his way, we'll have to go back to seasonal stuff in summer, "keepers" in winter, meaning carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips, parsnips, and cabbage. Yes, I'm old enough to remember when iceberg lettuce was a novelty.

[cstanleytech]

7. Question is what do the varies treaties we have with Mexico say regarding the state of Texas

interfering in trade?
If they do not address such egregious state inspections then I am not sure what can be done.

[ashredux]

8. Bet the Butt family is on the phone to the Governor...

HEB sells a LOT of produce

[Paladin]

14. And there are shortages of produce at HEB, lately.

Shortages, and some instances of sub-standard quality. I should have known it could be traced back to Abbott.

[Historic NY]

12. Looks like Abbott is going to be the cause for inflated prices on goods

delayed to markets.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

13. More destructive grandstanding by Abbot. When are companies going to put the hammer down on him?

[aeromanKC]

15. Cue the GOP and Media blaming the shortages on Biden in 3,2,1.........

[Grins]

16. Heh. So bypass Texas distributors so Texas shelves empty.

Thanks, Greg!

[niyad]

17. May he, and his enablers, receive everything they deserve.

[IronLionZion]

22. Will Texan voters blame Biden for this or elect Beto for governor?

This and the power outage/freeze last year should be more than enough reasons to throw Abbott out.

[riversedge]

28. Beto tweet: This is inflation. Higher prices at the grocery store. A supply chain crisis that is ki

Beto O'Rourke
@BetoORourke
·
6h
Governor candidate, TX
This is inflation. Higher prices at the grocery store. A supply chain crisis that is killing businesses along the border.

This is what Greg Abbott is doing to Texas.

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=k0urteprcBJz5mt9u7Wk6Q




BetoMedia
@BetoMedia
—BREAKING BETO NEWS—
Beto O’Rourke in Laredo, Texas -
the scene of Greg Abbott’s border chaos.
“So it’s a political stunt more than anything else.”

4/11/22

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=k0urteprcBJz5mt9u7Wk6Q

[riversedge]

24. Axios: Truckers block Texas border crossing to protest new rules from Abbott

21 mins ago - Economy & Business
Truckers block Texas border crossing to protest new rules from Abbott
https://www.axios.com/truckers-protest-abbott-texas-rules-008bd1ab-41e1-4161-abb4-d421d3ef448c.html


Trucks.
Photo: Callaghan O'Hare/Bloomberg via Getty Images


.............................

Why it matters: Mexico is the U.S.'s biggest source of agricultural imports, and the U.S. relies on an intricate but relatively speedy inspection system at the southern border to get goods through.

The U.S. imported nearly $34 billion worth of agricultural products in 2020, according to government data.

Details: Abbott, a Republican running for re-election, last week ordered state troopers to conduct additional inspection of commercial trucks in response to the Biden administration's lifting of a policy that turned asylum-seekers away in the name of public health, which takes effect in May.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is already in charge of inspections; Abbott's order just doubled the effort.

The big picture: Cross-border trade is crucial as supply chain issues continue to impact Americans.

Dante L. Galeazzi, CEO and president of the Texas International Produce Association, wrote in a letter to Abbott that his policy "has wreaked havoc up and down our supply chain and is likely to leave state store shelves with limited fresh produce supplies.".............................

[Hortensis]

25. Abbott's playing to his useful idiots to get reelected, with ruthless

disregard for who gets hurt, in the U.S. and certainly not in Mexico.

[Novara]

26. Using state troopers

What a fucking ridiculous waste of resources and money. And for what? Just to be an asshole.

[Torchlight]

27. Could explain the excessive stress-eating the past 48 hours by the Trumpian shipping manager

who works the loading docks just outside the office grounds.

Could also explain his verbal outburst about Abbott in the cafeteria this afternoon.

Could even explain the lack of trucks at the loading docks the past two days.





But it'll never explain my apathy about the horrors of the feral hog.